Reasons former pastors stepped down from ministry
Percent of former senior pastors in four Protestant denominations who stepped down before retirement age, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Change in calling (40%). Lowest: Lack of preparation for the job (1%).
- Change in calling: 40%
- Conflict in a church: 18%
- Burnout: 16%
Source: Lifeway Research, Former Pastors Share Reasons Behind Their Ministry Exit · Lifeway Research study of former senior pastors in four Protestant denominations who stepped down before retirement age. Article published 2025-08-12.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Change in calling (40%). Lowest: Lack of preparation for the job (1%). Change in calling: 40%. Conflict in a church: 18%. Burnout: 16%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Former Pastors Share Reasons Behind Their Ministry Exit (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/08/12/former-pastors-share-reasons-behind-their-ministry-exit/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.